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Kathua Outrage

THE horrific rape and murder of an eight-year old girl in Kathua, Jammu, who was kept confined, sedated and brutalised by a gang of men has outraged the country.

More shocking and disturbing has been the communalisation of this heinous crime and the defence of the accused who were arrested, by two ministers of the J&K government belonging to the BJP. In another outrageous act, the local bar association lawyers sought to prevent the filing of the case papers in the court.

The two ministers have since resigned, but this is insufficient. Criminal cases must be filed against them for obstruction of justice. Similarly, the office bearers of the bar association must also be proceeded against for trying to obstruct the course of justice.

UP GOVERNMENT INDICTED

The Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh has covered itself in ignominy by refusing to act against the ruling party MLA of Unnao, Kuldip Singh Sengar, who is accused in the rape of a minor girl. Moreover, the administration stands indicted in the manner in which the father of the girl died in custody after being arrested by the police on false cases. He had suffered serious injuries inflicted on him by the brother of the MLA and his henchmen.

It is only after the Allahabad High Court made scathing comments on the administration and ordered the arrest of the MLA, that he was taken into custody.

The Adityanath government which sought to protect the MLA had no compunction earlier in withdrawing 131 cases involving murder and other serious offences registered after the Muzaffarnagar riots in September 2013. With this action the BJP government had signaled that crimes can be committed with impunity.

The Unnao crime is a direct consequence of the protection given to serious criminal offenders.